Freshman leads Spartans in soccer win

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
11/29/2012 11:45:19 PM PST

Updated:
11/29/2012 11:45:20 PM PST

Mountain View freshman Ysabel Baluyot didn't know if she was going to see any action during the season opener for the Spartans girls soccer team. Then the forward was told to leave the bench and take the field at Menlo-Atherton.

"That surprised me and it gave me confidence," Baluyot said.

The result was two goals from the freshman, including the game-winner less than two minutes into the second half as Mountain View dictated play in the second half of Thursday night's 3-1 victory over M-A.

"She's shown flashes in practice, but to score two goals in your first game as a freshman on varsity is just incredible," Mountain View coach Ivan Bandov said. "And I think she's only going to get better through the season."

It was the second game in three days for M-A against Central Coast Section champions from last season, with the Bears (1-1) faring better Tuesday in a 4-2 win against Menlo School-Atherton.

"I have big expectations for these girls," M-A coach Paul Snow said. "I think they can do really well in CCS. And who knows? If we meet Mountain View again in CCS, something different could happen."

Possession fluctuated between the teams in the early portion of the first half, with M-A denied a goal in the eighth minute when it was flagged for being offsides.

Mountain View broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when Baluyot chased down a through ball into the box and poked it past the charging keeper. The ball trickled past the goal line just as an M-A defender made a last-ditch effort to clear it with a slide.

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"Most of the time it's gaps and runs," Baluyot said of the strategy on offense. "It's just knowing where they're going to kick and you just run on."

The Bears answered in the 36th minute as freshman midfielder Sarah McLeod took a free kick from 30 yards out and snuck it over the goalie, with her shot hitting the bottom of the crossbar.

Then it was the Spartans' turn to have a goal negated because of an offside flag as Morgan DeAngelis dribbled into the box in the 40th minute. Her shot was deflected by Bears goalie Caitlyn Lanigan, and when Mountain View forward Morgan Mathews pushed the ball into an empty net, the sideline referee raised his flag.

Matthews , who was shifted to defense midway through last season after injuries decimated the backline, still got on the scoresheet in the 62nd minute with the insurance goal for the Spartans. The go-ahead score came on a counter-attack in the 42nd minute as Baluyot shielded the ball from a defender in the box, turned and fired a shot to the near post that deflected off the goalkeeper.

"Our midfielders combined very well with our forwards and we created a ton of chances," Bandov said. "Their keepers made some good saves, otherwise the scoreline could have been a little higher."

M-A sophomore Alaina Kleck, who took over in the cage in the second half, more than redeemed herself with a sprawling save to her left that denied Baluyot a hat trick in the 63rd minute, then she punched a shot over the crossbar after the ensuing corner kick.

"I'm happy with the way they played," said Snow, who made numerous substitutions throughout to learn more about his squad, which has been together for just four days because the club season concluded last week. "I would've liked to see at least a tie, but they outlasted us and just used their speed at the end, which kind of killed us."